What are we reading right now?

12/11/2012 Currently reading:

The Books of Rachel: I am only about 15 % into it, but so far it is very good. From the Amazon.com blurb: The Books of Rachel is a fictional microcosm of 500 years of Jewish history. Since the 15th century, in the Cuheno family, the first daughter born to the family is given the name Rachel and a heritage of faith and courage as precious as the family diamond. A saga sweeping from the Spanish Inquisition to the birth of a Jewish homeland.

The Facility: From the Amazon.com blurb: In a near-future dystopian Britain, democracy has been undermined. Emboldened by new anti-terrorism laws, police start to “disappear” people from the streets for unspecified crimes. But when unassuming dentist Arthur Priestley is snatched and held prisoner at a top-secret facility, his estranged wife, Julia, and a brave but naive journalist named Tom Clarke embark on a harrowing quest for the truth. Following a trail that leads to the very top of government, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am about 50% through it, and quite impressed. The book is creepy, given the current political state of our world. It is too true, or too probable.

Next on the fiction platter is Bone Machine, another book I received free in exchange for an honest review. From the Amazon.com blurb:

War. Poverty. Hunger. Are over.Humankind hasn’t changed, but the way we work has. Welcome to the brave new world of the Artificially Conscious Androlibra, a humanlike robot that acts like a personal clone, helping to bring balance to our lives.

Grayson Cornel doesn’t sleep much anymore. His life is in shambles. His father is teetering on death. He was recently promoted by The Libra Robotics and Cybernetics Corp, but his predecessor, Zoe Asher is wanted for murder and is now targeting him. On top of that, his first assignment in his new position has ended in disaster.

The last of the world’s sweatshops in Haiti had finally placed an order for Libra Corp robots, and it was Grayson’s job to make sure that the order was filled. But when the robots arrived, something went horribly wrong. They disappeared, leaving only dead bodies in their wake. No Libra Corp robot had ever killed anyone before, so Grayson is sent to Haiti to figure out what went wrong.

What he discovers begins to unravel a dark secret Libra Corp has been keeping from the public. Something so shocking that Grayson risks ending utopia to put a stop to it.